Detachable accessory for wheel chairs



Sept. 7, 1965 A. c. MOMMSEN 3,205,006

DETACHABLE ACCESSORY FOR WHEEL CHAIRS Filed Jan. 30, 1964 FIG. 53' ,NVENTOR 1712mm! 6. MoMMszA/ BY lrroxusrr United States Patent M 3 205 006 DETACHABLE ACCESSORY FOR WHEEL CHAIRS Adolph C. Mommsen, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Metal-Matic, Inc., Minneapolis, Mom, a corporation of Minnesota I Filed Jan. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 341,227 1 Claim. (Cl. 297423) This invention relates generally to wheel chairs for invalids, and pertains more particularly to a detachable foot or leg rest therefor.

Various types of foot and leg supporting structures have been devised. Some of these structures have been permanently attached to the wheel chair, but more recent designs have been concerned with such rests that can be removed. A detachable foot or leg rest is highly de sirable because its removal will facilitate the maneuvering of the wheel chair in certain instances; it will allow more freedom with respect to the persons legs, and it will render the wheel chair more compact in the case of storage or shipment thereof.

Where removable legs rests have been employed in the past, it has been customary to design the foot or leg rest for a particular wheel chair. Telescoping arrangements have been resorted to which, of course, require aligned mating members, such an arrangement requiring that the rest be used on a given type of wheel chair. Also, one prior art arrangement has involved the use of gudgeons which are welded at specific locations on one or both vertical legs of the wheel chair. Hereagain, it is necessary to have the leg or foot rest fit properly and the rest must be designed for use with a particular wheel chair.

The present invention has for an object the provision of a readily detachable foot or leg rest that can be used on most modern metal wheel chairs without requiring that portions of the accessory be aligned with portions of the wheel chair frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide an accessory for wheel chairs of the envisaged type that can be quickly and easily removed or attached as circumstances dictate. More specifically, it is an aim of the invention to obviate the need of any fastening elements or tools for attaching or detaching the accessory. In this regard, it is intended that the leg or foot rest be initially tilted or inclined into a particular position and then by a simple twisting action have the accessory engaged with a ver-' tical leg of the wheel chair frame, the lowering of the accessory then being the only additional step that is necessary in effecting the attachment.

A further object is to provide an accessory for wheel chairs which will satisfactorily support a part of a persons leg which can be fabricated at a relatively low cost. Associated with this saving is the fact that no provision need be made with respect to the wheel chair itself for the accommodation of an accessory constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a leg supporting accessory that will not inadvertently become detached. Thus, it is within the purview of the present invention to provide a simple structure that will be completely reliable in use.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a typical wheel chair having my accessory attached thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the accessory on a larger scale;

3,205,006 Patented Sept. 7, 1965 FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view taken in the direction of line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, the phantom position of the accessory illustrating the first step to be taken in effecting the attachment thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken in the direction of line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken in the direction of line 55 of FIGURE 4.

Describing now the general design of the typical wheel chair denoted generally by the reference numeral 10 in FIGURE 1, it will be observed that the wheel chair comprises side frames 12. Each side frame includes a horizontal arm portion 14, a vertical leg portion 16, and a horizontal rail portion 18. Side panels 20 are also employed. Still further, the wheel chair 10 conventionally includes a pair of drive wheels 22 each having a hand rim 24 plus a pair of forward caster wheels 26. Actually, only the vertical leg portion 16 and the horizontal rail portion 18 are required in order to utilize my invention.

The accessory or attachment constituting my invention has been indicated generally by the reference numeral 26. It will become apparent as the description progresses that the accessory 28 is to be used as a foot rest, although the accessory would have equal utility as a leg rest or as a combination foot and leg rest.

The accessory 28 comprises an elongated vertical tube or mast member 30. This member is intended to reside in a parallel relationship with the vertical leg portion 16 as will become apparent hereinafter.

Welded or brazed near the upper end of the member 30 are a pair of C clips 31, 32. These clips 31, 32 extend transversely from the member 30 and as can be discerned from FIGURES 1 and 2, they are longitudinally spaced from each other. Still further, it is important to note that the clips 31, 32 are reversely curved with respect to each other. Thus, the clip 31 partially encircles one side of the vertical leg portion 14 and the clip 32 partially encircles the other side of the leg portion 16.

Secured at the lower end of the member 30, hereagain as by welding or brazing, is a base flange 34 possessing a somewhat arcuate appearance when viewed from above, this configuration being visible in FIGURE 4. Thus, the flange 34 is offset somewhat so as to obviate any interference with the vertical leg portion 16 when the accessory 28 is attached. Integral with the free end of the arcuate flange 34 is another C clip 36. This clip faces downwardly and is intended to overlie the horizontal rail portion 18.

Consequently, it will be appreciated that there are three C clips having a substantially semi-circular appearance which project in the same direction from the mast member 30. As can be seen from FIGURES 1 and 2, the clip 36 extends somewhat farther away from the mast member 30 than do the upper clips 31, 32.

It is intended that the accessory 28 be quite light Weight and in its preferred form, the member 30 would be of tubular configuration. Still another member of tubular construction is employed, this being the member 38 which is secured at its upper end to the upper end of said member 30 but which extends outwardly and downwardly as can be readily perceived in FIGURES 1 and 2. In order to reinforce the member 38, a tubular brace 40 has one end attached to the member 30 and its other end similarly connected to the member 38.

Telescopically received in the lower end of the member 38 is still another tubular member 42. The degree of reception can be adjusted through the agency of :a split clamp 44, it being only necessary to tighten the bolt 46 and nut 48 in order to retain the member 42 at a desired elevation. A treadle or foot pad 50 is carried at the lower end of the member 42. Hence, the treadle or foot pad 50 can be adjusted for persons having legs of diflerent length through the medium of the abovementioned bolt and nut 46, 48.

Having presented the foregoing information, the manner in which my accessory 28 is attached and detached should be readily comprehended. All that need be done is to initially hold the accessory 28 in the inclined position illustrated in phantom outline in FIGURE 3. The C clips 31, 32 are spaced a sufficient distance apart so as to accommodate the vertical leg portion 16 therebetween as is clearly evident from FIGURE 3. With the accessory 28 in this position, it is only necessary that the person swing the accessory 28 downwardly in the direct-ion of the arrow 52. This automatically brings the mast member 30 into a parallel relationship with the vertical leg portion 16. Having accomplished this, the remaining ste is to lower the accessory in the direction of the arrow 54, thereby causing the C clip 36 to overlie the horizontal rail portion 18 of the wheel chair 10.

Quite obviously, the removal or detachment can be eifected with equal ease. The user only ha to lift or elevate the accessory 28 somewhat and then swing the accessory back into the phantom outline position of FIG- URE 3 from which position it can be completely separated from the wheel chair 10.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed:

In combination with a wheel chair having horizontal and vertical tubular frame portions, said vertical frame portion having a cylindrical cross section of a given did ameter, a detachable leg rest comprising a vertical mast member, a single pair of C-shaped clips extending in a transverse direction from said mast member near the upper end thereof and longitudinally spaced from each other a distance greater than the diameter of said vertical frame portion, said C-shaped clips having a curvature cor-responding generally to that of said vertical frame member with the upper of said C-shaped clips facing in one direction and the lower of said C-shaped clips facing in a reverse direction so that the two clips together substantially encircle said vertical frame portion, an additional clip afiixed to the lower end of said vertical mast member and facing downwardly for engaging said horizontal frame portion to support said mast member, the lower of said References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,267,046 5/18 Beaird 248263 1,413,849 4/22 Haggard 248214 1,808,628 6/31 Bond 248263 2,592,449 4/52 Miller 297440 2,746,527 5/56 Liebich 297--43 8 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

